Houghton College Evaluation and Life Planning (HELP) Day will not take place this semester. In lieu of classes, HELP Day provided extra space and time for students to fill out surveys evaluating Houghton College and meet with their advisors prior to course selection week. According to Vocational Opportunities and Career Advising (VOCA) Director Kim Pool, Houghton has decided to forego HELP Day this year, as the recent conversion to more convenient electronic surveys has made the loss of a full day of classes unnecessary. “VOCA continues to provide life planning services,” Pool stated, which include assistance with major selection along with job and internship searching. Several well-attended workshops from last year’s HELP Day will be available this semester, including a networking and LinkedIn workshop on March 3, an etiquette luncheon on April 6, and “Budgeting 101” on April 12.
There have been mixed reactions on campus since HELP Day was cancelled. Krista Maroni, Resident Director of Lambien Hall, as well as the leader of the upcoming budgeting workshop, stated, “I liked the idea of HELP day because so many students tell me they wish Houghton taught practical information.” However, Maroni noted a disconnect between the voices calling for more practical education and attendance at daylong workshop events like HELP Day. “It seems wise to incorporate more opportunities for life-after-college education throughout the year without a day off as students sort of check out when they don’t have normal classes,” she said.
Lauren Bechtel ‘15 disagreed. “I think VOCA will be overwhelmed [by graduating seniors] by the end of the semester,” she said, citing HELP Day’s tertiary function of setting aside a specific day for seniors to finalize graduation day details. “I think students are very interested in [financial and life] planning, and now we will have to find time out of our own schedules to access those resources. As a very busy senior, having HELP Day to focus on these important issues would have been very helpful.”
Despite Bechtel’s insistence on HELP Day’s relevance, such does not seem to be the case for all students. “Obviously I love a day off,” said Jiwan Dhaliwal ’17, “but I never went to any of the HELP Day sessions anyway, so I guess all I’m losing is a day of sleep. I would ask VOCA to bring it back for a spontaneous holiday, but that’s probably the reason it got cancelled.”
For Pool, the absence of HELP Day is no excuse for students to slack off on increasing their employment potential. The VOCA Director continuously advises students to continue to be mindful about after college and summer planning. “Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment with a VOCA counselor,” she stated, whose services are available to students through the academic year.